Posts archive for July, 2014

TribeHR, a company that provides virtual HR services, just announced it has raised $2.5 million in funding, bringing its total to $3.6 million.

The company provides HR software to small and medium-sized businesses. It provides support in recruiting, managing vacation days, remembering salary history, and other tasks. The price range from $2 to $10 a user per month.

A Novel Solvent-free Approach for Production of Bean Protein Fractions

Bean protein is a cost effective and environmentally conservative protein resource that has economic advantages over more expensive meat and dairy-based proteins which are most commonly used to meet the world’s nutritional demand. Beans are primarily consumed as baked or canned beans but there is a growing interest in its utilization as a protein ingredient. The conventional techniques for bean protein production involve the use of solvents, concentrated acids and alkali which results in protein denaturation and solubility loss. The drawbacks here are many, the most important question is that while the protein compositions might be there but has the protein remained ‘vital’ – that is, functional and fully bioavailable – under harsh processing conditions? What is the life-cycle cost of recovering and recycling the solvents?

Advanced CERT Canada Inc. (AdCERT) is a start-up research and development company specializing in Engineering, Consulting and R&D Services primarily in chemical engineering and biotechnology. AdCERT has begun exploring and developing a novel cost effective dry separation technology to produce protein-rich flour from pulses and grains without consuming solvents and chemicals. The patent-pending technology pioneered by Advanced CERT Canada preserves the bio-functionality of the ingredients and averts toxic microbial contamination which is common in wet processes. Advanced CERT Canada has designed and fabricated a prototype, separating the proteins from the flours of proteinaceous grain crops. The results from the prototype testing have been very encouraging, raising the protein content of White Bean Flour from ~24% to as high as 52% in the protein-rich fraction. AdCERT is exploring multi-stage separation to achieve improved separation efficiency and product recovery. With one quarter of this current project done, AdCERT has assessed the functionality of bean protein powders produced by different methods (wet & dry) via several physico-chemical methods. Preliminary indications are that the dry separation technology invented by AdCERT preserves the vital nature, structure, and functionality of protein. Various refinements on the process are planned and being executed. This project was funded in part through GF2, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. The Agricultural Adaptation Council assists in the delivery of GF2 in Ontario.

Waterloo (Ontario), CANADA, Thursday, July 3, 2014 – The Accelerator Centre® (AC), an award-winning centre for the cultivation of technology entrepreneurship located in Waterloo, Ontario, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Paul Salvini to the role of Accelerator Centre CEO and Associate Vice-President, Research Commercialization at the University of Waterloo.

Dr. Salvini, a seasoned executive with proven experience in growing highly profitable, world-class technology companies, comes to the Accelerator Centre from Christie Digital Systems Canada Inc., where he served as Chief Technology Officer guiding the company’s global research and innovation strategy. Prior to Christie, Dr. Salvini was CTO at Toronto-based Side Effects Software, where he led an award-winning team of mathematicians and software developers in the creation of 3D animation and visual effects software for Hollywood feature films. He is an active leader within the local and digital media communities serving on numerous boards including as Chair of GRAND (Canada’s Digital Media Network of Centres of Excellence) and President of the University of Waterloo Alumni Council. In 2007, Dr. Salvini was named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40™, a national award that honors individuals for outstanding achievements in innovation, leadership, vision, and community involvement.

Dr. Salvini will assume his new Accelerator Centre and University of Waterloo responsibilities in late August.

“We are exceptionally fortunate to welcome Paul to the AC,” says Michael Stork, Chairman of the Board for the Accelerator Centre. “He is an experienced leader, mentor and collaborator, with deep expertise in both technology and business, and extensive entrepreneurship experience in the creation, funding and operation of new companies, as well as growing and expanding existing companies. Paul brings to the AC extensive connections throughout the technology and digital media community, a fresh vision for growth and expansion, and a track record for transforming vision into reality that has us all very excited for the possibilities that lie ahead.”

University of Waterloo Vice-President of University Research, George Dixon, offered his congratulations on Dr. Salvini’s appointment:

“Paul is a proven leader in technology commercialization. His technical expertise, leadership abilities, and business acumen is widely respected and admired within the commercial enterprise and within academic communities. We warmly welcome Paul into his role as Associate Vice President of Commercialization at the University of Waterloo.”

Dr. Salvini holds a BMath degree in Computer Science from the University of Waterloo, MASc and PhD degrees in Engineering from the University of Toronto, and an MBA from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. He lives in Kitchener with his wife and two children.

About the Accelerator Centre The Accelerator Centre® (AC) is dedicated to building and commercializing technology start-ups. The AC provides an essential combination of mentorship, educational programming, professional office space, networking, and access to funding, with a goal of building successful companies. Over a two to three year period, we help entrepreneurs move from start-up to scale-up, accelerate their time to market, and attract customers, investment and revenue.

Since 2006, the Accelerator Centre has developed and nurtured over 130 early-stage technology start-ups, creating 1100+ new jobs, generating over $120 million in revenue, and attracting over $180 million in investment. Thirty-eight companies have graduated from The Accelerator Program®, and more than 85 percent of these companies have remained in Waterloo Region. For more information visit www.acceleratorcentre.com.

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Accelerator Centre – Headquarters

295 Hagey Blvd 1st Floor, West Entrance Waterloo, Ontario N2L 6R5

info@acceleratorcentre.com

(519) 342-2400

Who We Are

The Accelerator Centre is an award winning startup incubator dedicated to building and scaling sustainable, globally competitive technology firms; and to commercializing advanced research technologies emerging from academic institutions.